It’s race eve. That can only mean one thing. “Mangia! Mangia!” (“Eat! Eat!”) as my Italian-speaking great grandma used to say as she encouraged us to – why not – eat a loaf of Italian bread. For a snack.

As obscenely delightful as that sounds, I’m practicing restraint in preparation for tomorrow’s Inaugural Summerlin Half Marathon by Desert Sky Adventures. I happily eat pasta several nights a week. Linguini…tortellini…rigatoni…gnocchi…fusili. If it ends in an “i” – well heck, I’ll have thirds. As pedestrian as all things macaroni can get around here, there’s just something magical about boiling the water for race eve pasta. I looked forward to it all day.

Tonight’s main course is bowtie pasta. Farfalle if you want to be fancy about it. I’m a sucker for symbolism, so it’s only fitting that I carb load while writing on the topic…careful not to splash on my white MacBook. I don’t typically require a salad with pasta, but a leafy green creation complete with my special occasion $6.99/jar calamata olives seemed needed tonight. And for fun, a Longboard Island Lager handcrafted in Kona, Hawaii. The Surgeon General’s label warns pregnant women and drivers to sip with caution. No footnote to half marathoners. Bottoms up.

If you’re wondering, I’m stopping at “firsts.” No seconds or thirds for bib #280. I don’t want to be thinking, “Does this water bottle make my butt look big?” as I line up exactly 12 hours from now.

RMFR

Immediately after my run I can’t eat anything. Even on my long run’s – when all I do is daydream about what I’m having for breakfast – I can’t eat. Since proteins are needed for muscle recovery and growth, I started drinking protein drinks. Before my turn to the greener side of the force I used to rely on whey protein powders. After seeing how much cholesterol whey contained, I switched to soy. Being a vegetarian, I’m always looking for sources of protein. Soy protein is low in fat, has NO cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Throw in some Metamucil (for lowering cholesterol and fiber) and I’m good to go.

ORB Vanilla Orange Protein Drink

• 12 oz. skim milk
• 1 ice cube
• 1 scoop (42 g) of EAS Soy Protein powder
• 1 rounded Tbsp (12g) of Orange Metamucil

Combine the above in a drink mixer and enjoy. It tastes a lot like a orange creamsicle (the closest I’m going to get to one). If you try it, let us know what you think!!!